Starrett Judo Tournament - Jan 2009

Second tournament was Starrett in Brooklyn. I found my first match on my opponent's youtube page, strangely enough. I lose a LONG match by seoinage (ippon in both senses) after gassing hard. My lungs were burning. However, I fulfilled my promise to my teammates: no sacrifice throws. I'm a yellow belt now. I'm the dark, bearded one in the dark belt (judges made me wear a blue). YouTube - Alex Fridman - Judo Starrett Cup - Novice Division - Match 1

You can see me accidentally scratch his face/nose/eye(?) at 1:00 and apologize midmatch. Considering that my choke attempt bloodied the inside of his mouth later, I think...I may owe him another apology.

My second match is in the loser's bracket. I was still tired, 10 minutes after the last match. Very tired. I think I could've won if I had met him in my first match--but that's bull so nevermind. I lost by sotomakikomi, which I don't have a great defense for.

I'm going to work on cardio hardcore for next match. I'm running hills/stairs (I have an OK hill nearby, and if I can find stairs within ~1 mile I'll do those) and will be getting a judo-specific workout from my coach.

I also have no forward attacks--my only confident technique is kouchigari, which takes a bit of posture and opportunity. My coach suggested tai-otoshi and foot sweeps (primarily okuriashibarai IMO). I also want my seoinage and sprawl to improve before I go out again.

Third tournament - Judo Karate Center Invitational 2009

Went to the Judo Karate Center Invitational 2009 in Cranford, NJ today for my third tournament. Drove down with judo coach, watched some hard-fighting juniors, then waited for another hour for my matches. Well-run single-mat tournament. Instead of ranks and weights, it's a point division method: take your weight in pounds, add some points for rank and age (from a pair of charts; I got 170 pounds, 40 for 20-29 age and 10 for rank), and that's your bracket. I was in the senior <250 points and don't know why I wasn't in the <225, maybe I'm crazy.

First opponent: teenaged (17?) yellow belt. Won it in the first 10 or 12 seconds with my best throw (kouchigari), full ippon. First tournament win woot! I was also happy that I had avoided the powerful case of nerves I had in the first two tourneys. I was nervous but ready.

Second opponent: Polish kid in his prime who I had seen warming up. Groundwork looked like an alligator. Ranked lower than he should--his throws look brown belt level, and I think he was a yellow? Anyway, I charge in ignoring all these thoughts, defend a little, get nowhere with my tai-otoshi and kouchigari, and get thrown hard with a left-side tai-otoshi. I didn't take the fall well, because I tried to resist it wrong, so I landed hard on my left shoulder. Probably sprained it; I've been taking painkillers, NSAIDs and have been icing it 20-on-20-off.

Third opponent: teenage 200 lb green belt from the dojo we were at. Up-and-comer. My left shoulder hurt a lot, but I trucked on. Kouchigari is fruitless, as are my craptacular ouchigari, deashibarai, and tai-otoshi. We hit the mats a few times. Eventually he rolls me out like a rug with a beautiful seoinage.

Shoulder hurts, but I'm happy.

LESSON ONE: Work on tai-otoshi. Seoinage, which I've been working on, is now a lower priority due to how it works in with my kouchigari. I need a throw for when they move their right foot back.

LESSON TWO: Don't fucking shoulder-plant for your ukemi. Either step over the tai-otoshi, circle it, counter it, fucking teleport out of it, or take the damn fall. I lost the point anyway, but managed to hurt myself in the process. Value: negative one.

LESSON THREE: There are opponents which I can beat in tournament. This is good news.

We await video at the courtesy of the event holders.

What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Xenophon's Socrates

So I just went through all your videos and I have to say that you move well for your rank and I saw great improvement each time. congrats on your first tourney win. Personally, I think you were robbed in your first match, as that was a very clear and well executed tani otoshi.

things that I liked: You look like you have good matwork for your ranl, but the judges were giving you no time to do anything. Unfortunately that seems to happen alot.

2 things you might work on:

1.following up an attack. You seem to go in and if its not perfect back off without even trying a true off-balance. Its constantly drilled into me at my gym that the entry will never be perfect, but if the first attempt gets anywhere, the second or third will finish it off.

2. loosen up. You will tire up less and your attacks will be less predictable because he won't feel your muscles shift.

My 2 cents, take it or leave it. On a side note, are you going to the AM-CAMs in buffalo may 22nd? if so I might see you there, trying to get off work now, my instructorsw want me to do it.

Thanks for the analysis, Beorn. You're absolutely right with both things I needed to work on, except that #2 has for the most part been solved by this last tournament with no video (this is from my judo coach). I still half-ass a lot of attacks in randori and shiai, though. The only one I don't half-ass is the only one that works consistently; kouchigari.

I may make the AM-CAMs, not sure. A bunch of guys from my club are going but I don't know if I'm free. I'll check.

What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Xenophon's Socrates

Thanks for the analysis, Beorn. You're absolutely right with both things I needed to work on, except that #2 has for the most part been solved by this last tournament with no video (this is from my judo coach). I still half-ass a lot of attacks in randori and shiai, though. The only one I don't half-ass is the only one that works consistently; kouchigari.

I may make the AM-CAMs, not sure. A bunch of guys from my club are going but I don't know if I'm free. I'll check.

do I smell a mini throwdown brewing? or at least a few beers and watching the UFC?

tri state tournies

thought I recognized you from somewhere, and sure enough it was at the cranford JKC tournie in late april. I did not compete that day, but perhaps in the future we will find ourselves at the same competition in the same division. You'll know it's me when you see serious sideburns.